Bed commode chair



Oct. 20, 1942. 1 y .1. s. MicHoN 2,299,640

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BED COMMODE CHAIR Filed Jan'. 17, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

g/ ex Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BED COMIVIODE CHAIR John B. Michon, Baton Rouge, La.

Application January 17, 1942, Serial No. 427,197

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to commode seats for use by bed patients and has for its principal object to provide a device by means of which the act of defecation is made easy for patients who must remain in bed and who may have paralysis or hip casts which make it difficult for the patient to move or to be moved with any degree of ease.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of and for the purpose above set forth which is so designed that the bed patient may be conveniently placed upon the commode seat by the operation of rolling the patient and the seat together after the patient has been placed in a prepared position upon his side and the commode device has been located against the body of the patient Where it is securely held while the patient and the device are being moved as a unit into a position where the patient is disposed upon his back on Ithe device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated in which a pair of separable units are employed which are used cooperatively to maintain the patient and the portion of the device in which a bed pan is maintained, said portion being one of the two units, in a prescribed relation so that the patient may be conveniently turned or rolled over upon his back and onto the pan carrying portion of the device and reversely rolled or turned for the removal of the device after the desired use of the same has been made.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it being understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited by the specific illustration or description but that such illustration and description constitute a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 illustrates the device of the present invention in top plan showing the two portions thereof joined together in the relation which they assume at a period during the manipulation of the device and the patient.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and illustrating particularly the manner of securing the seat upon the pan carrying frame and the position assumed by the pan within the frame.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the pan frame and back rest taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figures 4 to 8. inclusive illustrate diagrammatically the several steps to be followed in the use of the present device for placing a bed patient thereon with the least amount of inconvenience to the patient, in which- Figure 4 shows the initial placement of the two parts or units of the device upon the bed at opposite sides of the patient;

Figure 5 illustrates the position to which the patient is rolled on his side upon the shiftable board portion of the device;

Figure 6 illustrates the next step of coupling the patient supporting board and the pan carry ing frame together, the patient still being upon his side;

Figure 7 illustrates the next step of positioning the pan carrying frame upon its side and coupling the frame and board together across the body of the patient, the patients buttocks being against the frame seat; and

Figure 8 illustrates the final stage in which the pan frame and patient have been turned or rolled as a unit to locate the patient upon the seat.

Figure 9 is a detail section on an enlarged scale vertically through a seat securing latch.

Figure 10 is a detail section on an enlarged scale horizontally through a seat securing latch.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and especially to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive it will be seen that the device of the present invention consists principally oi two detachably coupled main portions orv units which are designated by the characters A and B.

The portion A of the device comprises the bed pan carrying unit. This unit consists of a relatively flat stool structure which may be of any suitable design for the reception of the bed pan C. The unit here shown comprises a flat rectangular bottom frame l0, a similarly formed top frame Il and intermediate vertical coupling posts or supporting members I2 by which the top and bottom frames are joined together to form the whole stool structure. The stool as stated may be of any design and it is here shown as being open so that the pan C may be conveniently introduced from a side or from an end but it will, of course, be understood that if the stool should be made in the form of a closed structure or box one side wall might be left open or be made removable so that the pan can be conveniently inserted and removed.

Upon the top of the stool frame is secured' a removable toilet seat I3. This is detachably secured to the top frame Il by means here illustrated as being in the form of angular brackets I4 each of which has a downturnecl portion I5 and as shown the horizontal portions of the angular rails of the top frame II are provided with slots I 6 in which these downturned portions of the seat brackets are engaged.

In order to maintain the seat I3 against accidental displacement when the unit A is disposed upon its side in the manner illustrated in Figure '7, a suitable latch I1 may be provided and secured upon the inner side of two oppositely positioned rails of the frame II to extend across the adjacent bracket portion i which is provided with a recess I8 to receive a pin I9 carried by the spring latch. Thus by flexing the spring latches Il away from the downwardly extending portions I5 of the brackets, the latter may be released and the toilet seat removed from the stool frame.

Upon one side of the stool frame there is secured a laterally extending bracket comprising a pair of outwardly converging arms which are joined together at their outer ends by and support a guide sleeve 2Il which is vertically disposed when the stool frame is lying ilat or in normal position upon the bed or other surface. This guide 2I is designed to receive an end of a stabilizing post or rod 22 which is rmly held in position by a set screw 23 and can be adjusted to have one end bear against the floor when the stool frame is located upon the bed adjacent a side thereof.

At the opposite side of the stool frame from the bracket 29 there is secured to the lower frame I o to extend lengthwise of the stool and in spaced relation with the lower frame, the bar 24, by means of which the coupling of the unit A with the unit B is facilitated in the manner hereinafter described.

At one end of the stool there is secured to the upper frame I I one end edge of a back rest 25. The attaching means between the back rest and the frame II is in the form of hinges 26 which facilitate raising the back rest from a position in the plane of the top frame II of the stool to a raised or inclined position for the support of the patients back if the patient is able to sit up.

A supporting leg 2l is secured to the under side of the back rest adjacent the free end to hold the back rest horizontally when it is in lowered position.

In order to hold the back rest in raised position as it is shown in dotted outline in Figure 3 there is provided a swinging leg 28 which is here shown as being in the form of a substantially U-shaped member having the free ends pivotally f attached as at 29 to the under side of the back rest. To the central part of the pivoted leg is attached a cord 39 which is adapted to be secured to an attaching cleat 3| carried upon the bottom frame I El of the chair. This cord holds the pivoted leg against slipping when the chair back is raised from the horizontal.

The unit B comprises a body supporting board 32 through which are formed in a plane parallel with the widefaces of the board the transverse bores or passages 33.

Extending through the passages 33 of the body board are two shafts 34 which at one side of the board are connected by the bar 35 which carries midway of its ends the laterally extending arms 36. This arm at its outer end is integrally connected with a guide 3l which is vertically disposed when the board is placed flat upon the bed or other flat surface. j

At the opposite ends of the arms 34 are downturned hooks 38 which are designed for engagement with the side bar 24 of the chair unit. A supporting or steadying standard 39 slidably engages in the guide 31 and is held in adjusted position by a set screw 40.

While there have been shown the two supporting standards 22 and 39 one in the guide 2| and the other in the guide 37 the device can be used with one standard only if desired.

At the beginning of the operation of placing the patient upon the Seat of the chair the one standard would be attached to the guide 3? to support the board 32 in position as shown in Figure 4 and then after the patient has been turned onto the chair seat this standard might be shifted over and secured in the guide 2l as shown in Figure 8.

The connecting bar 35 carries a cleat 4I) and a similar cleat 4I is supported upon the upper one of the arms 20 forming the bracket at the side of the chair. These are employed for coupling the remote sides of the units A and B together at a stage in the operation of shifting the patient as shown in Figure 7.

In the use of the present device the body supporting board is disposed at one side of the bed, upon the top thereof as shown in Figure 4 and is steadied or supported at its outer' side by the oor engaging standard which is secured in the guide 37. The unit A which comprises the seat and chair structure is disposed upon the bed at the opposite side of the patient who presumably is upon his back. These relative positions of the parts of the device and the patient are shown in Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 5, the next step is in turn the patient on to his side on the board 32 and then the chair is shifted toward the center of the bed and the board supporting arms 34 are slid through the openings in the board toward the chair and hooks 38 are engaged over the bar 24 so that there is thus established a hinge connection between these two units. This arrangement is shown in Figure 6. Y

As shown in Figure 7, the chair is then swung upwardly on to its side so as to bring the seat into position against the buttocks of the patient and the uppermost side edge of the chair is then connected thru the medium of the cleat 4I and a rope or strap 42 with the cleat 40 which is connected with the side of the board and the board supporting arms remote from the chair. The two units of the device will then be securely held in perpendicular planes with the body of the patient upon the board beneath the connecting rope. The entire unit may then be swung or rolled over so as to bring the chair back to its upright position on the bed, the patient at the same time being turned with the chair so as to finally assume a position upon his back on the chair and the back rest. After the previously inserted pan has been removed from the chair following use of the same, the several steps described and illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 4 to 8 inclusive may be repeated in reverse order to return the patient to his bed.

If the patients condition permits of his being raised to a sitting or partial sitting position on the seat the back rest 25 can be raised and maintained in such position by the pivoted leg 28 and the cord 39.

While the device may be used for any bed patient who is not physically capable of using a bed pan in the normal manner it is particularly well adapted to use by patients in hip casts or patients having spinal injuries which require that they be turned or handled in such a way that the spine will not be bent or twisted.

It will also be readily apparent that the present device not only will be of great assistance to the patient but also makes it relatively easy for the nurse or attendant to take care of the patient.

At each end of the bar 24 a lateral extension 24' is provided which is perpendicular to the adjacent side of the seat frame. These extensions, there being one at each end of the bar 24, function as levers to raise the bar under the hooks 38 as the unit A is swung upwardly to the position shown in Figure '7. Thus when the unit A is swung back to lowered position the bar will remain in connection with the hooks 38.

In the adjusting or shifting of the rods 34 which form a part of the unit B these rods would not be extended relative to the board 32, more than 8 inches toward the unit A.

When the device is used upon a home bed, use of the supporting rod 22 in connection with the unit A is not necessary but on a hospital bed, which is about 36 inches wide, this rod or standard would be necessary since the unit A when returned to position with the patient thereon, would be very close to the edge of the bed.

What is claimed is:

1. A commode device of the character described comprising a relatively low chair structure carrying a toilet seat and adapted to receive a com; mode pan, a support adapted to receive the body of a bed patient, means for hingedly coupling the chair and support together when the same are in side by side relation whereby said chair may be turned onto its side with said seat disposed in a vertical plane over the support, and means for securing the chair and support together to facilitate turning of the same together with the body of the patient as a unit to bring the chair into upright position and effect transfer of the patient from the support to the seat.

2. A commode device for use by a bed patient while maintaining a supine position, comprising a relatively flat hollow chair designed to receive a commode pan, a toilet seat forming the top of the chair, a relatively long fiat support adapted to receive the body of the patient, means for establishing a detachable pivotal coupling between the support and the bottom part of the chair when the support and chair are in side by side relation, said pivotal coupling facilitating turning the chair up on one side at a side edge of the support, means facilitating shifting the support relative to the chair, and means for establishing a coupling between the remote sides of the support and chair when the latter is turned up on its side to facilitate rocking the chair, support and patient as a unit.

3. A commode device as set forth in claim 2 in which said support comprises a board and a pair of horizontal supporting arms upon which the board is slidably mounted, a standard, and means for securing said standard in Vertical position to said arms at the side of the board remote from the chair.

4. A commode device of the character described comprising a pair of relatively at hingedly coupled units designed to be disposed in side by side relation in a common plane and to be shifted one relative to the other whereby one assumes a position in a plane perpendicular to the other, one of said units being designed to receive the body of a patient, the other unit including a toilet seat and means to receive a commode pan therebeneath, and means for locking said units together against relative movement when one is in the perpendicular relation to the other.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 including a back rest hingedly coupled to the seat carrying unit to be oscillated on an axis extending transversely with respect to the body supporting unit, and means facilitating maintenance of the back rest in horizontal or inclined position with respect to the seat.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a relatively flat chair having top and bottom frames spaced apart sufciently to receive a bed pan, a toilet seat disposed over the top` frame, means detachably coupling the seat to the top frame, a bar secured along one side of the bottom frame of the chair, a pair of spaced supporting arms, a standard means connected with said arms to maintain the same ina desired position, a board supported upon said arms and movable on and longitudinally of the same, a coupling element carried by each arm at the end remote from the standard for hingedly engaging said bar, means at the opposite side of said chair forming a vertical guide for detachably receiving said standard, and means for couplin-g together the remote side of the chair and the board.

JOHN B. MICHON. 

